Article clamping and hoisting apparatus



United States Patent [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [72]Inventor Neely E. Cassady Nashville, Ark.

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Att0rney-Robert Brown, Jr.

ABSTRACT: Apparatus for clamping and hoisting a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally align characterized by a pair of opposi [54]ARTICLE CLAMPING AND HOISTING APPARATUS 6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

ed articles. The apparatus is tely disposed spaced jaws for grated beamassembly and by 294/63 clamping the articles into an inte 1366c 1/10 aretractable auxiliary unit for vertically supporting the intermediateportion of the assembl ing thereof.

y during the subsequent hoist- [50] Field I I I l PATENTEUUEBZZIEWU3549,1292

' sum 1 or 2 I as.

A TTORNIY PATENTEBUEBZEJBYB 7 3549.192

sum 2 or 2 Eg PWM ATTORNtY ARTICLE CLAMPING AND IIOISTING APPARATUS Thisinvention relates .to article-handling apparatus and more especially tomeans for simultaneously loading a plurality of prearranged objects suchas poultry coops, crates, cartons, packages, and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the classdescribed having means for integrating a plurality of load componentsinto a substantially self-supporting beam assembly prior to the hoistingthereof, in combination with retractable means for vertically supportingtheintermediate portion of the assembly during the subsequent t hoistingoperation. I

It is another object of this invention to provide an article clampingand hoisting apparatus comprising a pair of pivoted clamping jawsengageable with the opposite ends of a horizontally disposed loadassembly, in combination with means for maintaining the engaging jawfaces in an upwardly and outwardly divergent relationship during theclamping operation to thereby afford vertical support underneath theassembly ends when hoisting. I

It is another object of this inventionto provide an apparatus of thetype described in the immediately preceding paragraph wherein means areprovided for adjusting the divergency relationship during the clampingoperation or cycle to thereby vary the amount of vertical support at theassembly ends.

Some of the objects of invention having been stated, other objects willappear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a top plan view of a clamping and hoisting apparatus accordingto my invention, with portions thereof broken away; I

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of FIG. I, with portions thereof brokenaway; v 7

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the left-hand end of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 isa sectional detail view taken along line 4-4 in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional plan view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a transverse FIG. 2; V

FIG. 8 is a detail view similar to the left-hand portion of FIG. 2, butshowing the clamping mechanism and load components in hoisting position;I

FIG. 9 is a sectional plan view similarto FIG. 5, showing means foradjusting the-divergency relationship between the clamping jaws, and

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates aturnhead mount of a conventional hydraulic leader. The mount 10 hasframework 11 secured to the lower portion thereof which, in turn,supports assemblies 12 and 13 for engaging and supporting anassembly 14of load components 140 such as poultry coops, crates or cartons in amanner hereinafter described in detail. 7

The assembly 12 clamps a plurality of the separate components 14a intoan integrated, substantially self-supporting beam assembly 14 and,further, provides a V-type cradle or support for the opposite ends ofthe horizontal assembly during hoisting maneuvers. Prior to clamping,the components 140 are aligned in a horizontal row or rows, eachconsisting of one or more layers, after which, suitable spaced clampingjaws 17 and 17 are lowered in substantially parallel vertical positionsadjacent the opposite ends of .the rows as shown in FIG. 2, preparatoryto the inward movement of the jaws toward one another to compress thecomponents into a beam as shown in FIG. 8. Y

The parts of clamping assembly 12 are symmetrical about its verticalcenter line and, therefore, one side only of this assectional view takenalong line 7-7 in sembly will be described in detail since the otherside operates Jaw 17 comprises resilient layer 18 for engaging thelefthand end of assembly 14, a plate 19 for supporting the layer, and abracket 20 for supporting the plate, said bracket being pivotallysecured as at 21 to the lower end of depending bellcrank leg 22 ofbellcrank lever 23. Lever 23 is pivotally mounted as at 24 to framework11 and has a laterally and inwardly extending leg 25, the inner end ofwhich is secured as at 26 to vertically disposed links 27; The upperends of the links 27 are pivotally secured as at 28 to horizontalrocker.

lever pivot 24 from the position shown in FIG. 2 to'that shown in FIG. 8during the clamping operation, it is necessary to provide the pivot 21to permit the face of jaw to adjust itself against the end face ofassembly 14 in a well-known manner (See US. Pat. No. 3,273,931).Nevertheless, it is of critical importance to preserve said V-shapedposition of the jaws 17 and 17, particularly, in the event the endpressure against the components 14a should occur below the jaw pivots 21and 21. For this purpose, a U-shaped bracket 35is positioned about thebellcrank leg 22 and has the bracket legs secured to the upper portionof jaw plate 19, thereby limiting the clockwise rotation of jaw plate 17about its pivot 2l and also relative to the associated bellcrank leg 22.The depth of the U- shaped bracket 35 such that jaw 17 will be disposedat an angle A at the beginning of the clamping action, which angle willprogressively increase thereafter.

Angles A and A1 (FIG. 8) are each measured from a vertical line 33 and,when the parts 17, 22 and 23 are in the initial unclamping positions asshown in FIG. 2, theseangles are substantially zero. It will be notedthat, prior to the occurrence of clamping engagement between jaw 17 andthe end of assembly 14, the bellcrank leg 22 may rotate inwardly throughthe first part of angle A1 without producing any jaw angularity A. Thisabsence of angularity A is the result of clearance'36 provided betweenleg 22 and bracket 35 (FIGS. 2and 5). After the inward rotation of leg22 has taken up the clearance 36, the

angle A will increase at the same rate as angle A1. Thus, the jaw 17will become rigidly attached'to leg 22 to maintain a progressivelyincreasing angle A during endwise clamping pressure as leg 22 swingsfarther inwardly. Angle A2 is always equal to angle A, and angle A3equal to angle A1, said angles A2 and A3 being measured from horizontallines 34 and said angles A and A1 from vertical lines 33. Angles A2 andA3, like angles A and A1 described above, are substantially zero whenthe clamp assembly is in initial unclamped position as shown in FIG. 2.

The lift assembly 13 is employed for adjustably supporting theintermediate portion of the clamped load component assembly 14 atdifferent heights relative to the assembly ends. More specifically, theassembly 13 comprises an inverted L- shaped lever 38 having upwardly andlaterally disposed legs 39 and 40 respectively, said leg 40 extendingtransversely of the clamping axis of jaws 17 and 17 and being pivotallysecured as at 41 to framework 11. The inner end of leg 40 has a pin 44which fits into upright slot 45 in the lower end of portion of pistonrod 46 of hydraulic cylinder 47, the upper end of the cylinder beingpivotally secured um 48 to framework 11.

The lower end of upright leg 39 has pivotally secured thereto as at 51one end of an inwardly extending lever 52, the

inner end of the lever having integral therewith a bar 53 extendingsubstantially parallel to the clamping axis of jaws 17 and 17'. A springperch 51a is secured to lever 52 adjacent pivot 51, said perch havingthe lower end of a spring 66 secured thereto as at 69, the upper end ofthe spring being secured to the intermediate portion of lever leg 38 asat 70.

, by previor' sl'y described spring 66.

Bar'53-slidably supports a plurality of spaced fingers 55 in a Iposition normal to theelamping axis of jaws 17 and 17' (FIG. 7Theinnerend's 'of fingers 55are adapted to fit between the spacedvertical rods 56 which form the walls of 'coops" 14a and at the sametime underneath the top bars 57 of the lowermost raw of coops. Fingers55 areyieldingly urged inwardly toward said clamping axis bycompressionsprings 59, one end of each the other spring end abutting theinside wall surface of bar 53. One end of a strand' 62 is connectedtobar 53 as at 63 and the other endtothelower portion of pistonrod 46 asat 64, the intermediate portion'pf said strand passing over a pulley 65I such spring abutting 'a.collar55a" integral with finger 55, and rmounted approximately midway the upper and lower ends of lever leg '39.Strand 62 -ismaintained under constant tension when assembly, 13.178 in;the bold line position shown in Pro.

tionsthereby permitting membefs 52, 52a," 53 and 55 to assome theextreme counterclockwise position relative to pivot 51 During theinitial upward movement of piston rod 46 from position 'showninFlG 3,the assembly 13 rotates from the 3,- fthe piston rod 46 and the point64Yarein lowermost'posibold-lineto thedotted line position during whichthe.pin 44 remains in engagenient with the upperportion of slot 45.Still farther upward nioverrient of rod'46 will elevate slot 4 while andL shape'd lever 38fremain's in the'dotted line positionflandruntilithepinireachesthe bottom. of the slot as shown in FIG.'4;Duringthelattermovement of rod 46, however; the strand 62 'vvill be drawnupwardlyto thereby rotate lever52,

bar 53 and prongs 55in a clockwiseldii'ection about pivot 51 from thehorizontal dotted line position totherehy elevate the i rmovement'ofrod-M win rotate theentire assembly l3 bo dily iri aclocltwise directionaboutpivotil.

bellcranlt leg 22' has'moved inwardly to clamping position alongiwithjaw 17'. For this purpose amodified u-shaped osL-sanai marrow a modifiedconstruction which may b coopsto the desired higherele'vatiom when rodis elevated 7 more, position shown. in FIG. 4,. the maximum rotation ofI mer'nbers52f53fand 55, has occurred. Any farther upward employed' toadjust the-amount of; clearance 36-whichvdetera miijes ztheinstantangle-A startsto accumulate and after the bracket 35'a'has a cam platemounted therein as at'6; said plate having radially disposed" camsurfaces 5a, 5b, 5c and v5d located at progressively increasingdistances from point 6. Four radiallygdisposed holes 7 ;'respe'ctiv elycorresponding to surfacesSQSb, 5c andYSd, are equidistantly spaced frompoint 6, and aholt8 is employed to selectively penetrate these holessozas to hold the desired cams'urface opposite mereg 22.

[,Iheoperation of the apparatus is as follows: A hydraulic.

loader;(not shown-)attached to turnhead lll is used as a sup:

port fo rrat he' previously described assemblies duringyloadin'gmaneuvers; Asthe" cage frame '11 is lowered about the unclampedc oopassembly, the'clamps 17' and '17 are posi-' tion'ed opposite the' endsof the lowerrnostrow of coopsl 4a' r.

andwith clamping'faces l8 and 18f iii-parallel vertical positionfs. Thelowering of frarnework l1 and clamping assembly l-Zjsperformedwhiletth'e hydraulicpist'on' rod 31 andbellgaged'positionsagainst the assembly end in response to the incrinlr arm'sZ'S, 25"are inthe lowered positions shown in FIS.2. Afterthecage frame 1'1 andassemblies 12 and 13 are rawn, positionedabout the'horizontally arrangedcoop ass? bly 1'4, x the cylinder 32 is activated toward up-position c:sing .thecomponents of clamp assembly/ 12 to assume the position shownin FIG 8to thereby compress the'coops 140 raise strand I into anintegratedbeamlike construction, and concurrently to form a .V-shapedcradlesupport for the assembly ends with the proximate faces of jaws17'and-l7". j

After clamping the coop assembly 14 into a horizontally. disposedV-shaped cradle, "the hydraulic cylinder 47 is ac tivated to raisepiston rod 46. During the initial upward moveg; 4 ment of rod 46, thepin 44 remainsin theupp er portion of slot 45'while the lever 39 rotatesby gravityfsubstantially'tq the position shown in dotted lined ,andwiththe fingers s iengaging the coops 14aasshown in F1657, Additionalfupwardi a movement offigiston rod v46 forthe lengthof slot 45 will then toproduce cloc ltwrserotation of fingers which, in turn, elevate theintermedi'ate portion of the coop 'as'- semblyl4 to thedesiredadjustedQposition v lclaimz" .s

1. Article clamping andhoisting apparatus comprising a"v means forclamping a'plurality of articles into a self-supporting hem assemblysubstantially aligned with a horizontal'axis,

releasable means operable independently of said first means and movabletransversely of said 'axis'for vertically supporting V theintermediateportion of said clamped assembly, and hoisting means forsupporting said twofirst-named means.

2. Article v clamping and hoisting apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein said clamping means comprises' '-a-'"pair-of spaced armsswingablyqmounted'ifor movement 't'o'ward one anothen'a pair ofoppositely disposed clamping jaws pivotally mounted'on the free ends ofsaidlarmsres'pectively, the proxi-' mate facesfof said jaws beingengageable with the opposite means on the 'free 4. Article clamping. andhoisting in? V claim-S and further comprising means for adjus'ting saidprong means and theengaged intermediate assembly portion'to dif-' ferentelevations relative to said engaged assembly ends.

5. Article clamping and hoistingrapparatus comprising means for clampinga plurality of articles into an integrated assembly substantiallyaligned with a horizontal axis, *means movable transversely of said axisfor supporting the intermediateportion of said-assembly, and hoistingmeans for supportingsaid two, first-named-means, said clamping meanscomprising a pair: of dependingl nspaced arms swingably mounted formovement toward one another about horizontal axes respectively, a pairofoppositelyvdisposed clamping jaws pivotally inounted on horiaontalaxesatthe lower free ends of said arms respectively,- each of said jawpivots being disposed intermediate the upper and lower ends of theassociated jaw whereby the proximate faces of the jaws rotate toadjusted enitial clamping pressure, andmeans formaintaining saidproximate jawfaces in upwardly and outwardly relative'divergentpositions in the succeeding clamping pressure.

6. Apparatusas defined inclairn 5 and further comprising 7 means foradjusting the amplitude of jaw divergency.

